This invention relates in general to printed circuit boards (PCBs). In particular, this invention relates to an improved PCB that includes an embedded sensor and is configured as a sensing device to be carried, worn, affixed to, inserted into, or implanted in a user.
Companies that use and/or manufacture PCBs are making the decision to add the technical capability of embedded components technology to their design portfolios. This decision is driven by a number of advantages gained by using embedded technology, including the need for smaller size, higher component density, improved electrical performance, and overall cost reduction. The embedded component technology offers companies an alternative to an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit; i.e., an integrated circuit that is customized for a particular use, rather than intended for general-purpose use. Such embedded component technology provides companies benefits similar to those provided by Application-Specific Integrated Circuits, but with a shorter development timeframe and a lower cost than conventional PCBs.
For example, multi-layered PCBs may include fully or partially embedded active and/or passive components. Such active components may include any component that is capable of providing a powered functionality, such as a controller or other transistor-based circuits. Passive components may include components that cannot provide any power gain to the circuit, and need the help of active devices to operate, such as resistors, inductors, and capacitors. Other components may include an energy source, such as a battery or a capacitor.
Conventional PCBs with embedded active and/or passive components are described in the publication “IPC-7092; Design and Assembly Process Implementation for Embedded Components,” Working Draft dated 1 May 2013, published by IPC (also known as Association Connecting Electronics Industries).
It would however, be desirable to provide an improved structure for a PCB that that may be configured as a sensing device and that includes an embedded sensor to measure one or more designated physiological parameters, is compact, readily configurable to be carried, worn, affixed to, inserted into, or implanted in the user, yet remains relatively simple and inexpensive.